Blabbing To Everyone I Know

[Robina]

Before I went gluten free... my symptoms were so weird... and fierce... but now most seem to be manageable... the emotional aspect (and the anger I feel about this disease not being recognized the way it should be) has been the hardest for me to deal with... but basically I am talking about Celiac's with every person I meet... and in my profession... I meet new people every day... So I guess that's how I'm dealing with the emotional aspect...

On a similar yet different note... my brothers came up to visit today... and I talked with them for hours... explaining to them that the disease is hereditary... told them what my symptoms were... but also explained that the symptoms vary from person to person... and then I told them specifically how going gluten free has helped me (e.g. the symptoms that went away or greatly reducted)... I wanted them to realize that due to the fact that they also experience similar GI problems, etc... that they should be tested... especially since it's a simple test and then the dietary changes... one of my brother's decided he would forego the test and just try the diet for awhile (no medical insurance like me) while the other brother's wife gave me her email address and told me to send her the info on testing, etc... and the link to this board so she can force him to look into this further... lol...

[mouse]

Robina, I totally understand about babbling. I babble to everyone that will give me an ear. When we go out to dinner, my husband has to remind me to talk about something else LOL. I guess, even after being gluten-free for over 2 1/2 years, that I just don't want others to end up like I did. If my babbling helps a few people then it is worth it. So may your always talking about it help others.

[kbtoyssni]

I talk about it all the time, too. Not too much, but just enough so that most people I come in contact with on a daily basic coud define celiac and some of the major symptoms. I don't want to get annoying, but I think it's important that people are aware of the disease. A friend mentioned to me several years ago that she had celiac. I was curious about it so I looked it up at the time and then forgot about it. Years later I went on an elimination diet and realized wheat was a problem. I never would have made the jump to celiac if I hadn't heard about it several years before. And I'm sure I'd still be sick now because my doctors certainly weren't going to make the jump to celiac, either.

[flagbabyds]

yeah i completely agree with the babling thing i talk about it ALL the time, especially when i am away from home at camp and such, the people i lived with at camp now all know so much about it it's pretty cool how many lives you can change with just talking about it.

[emcmaster]

Hi Robina,

It is so tempting to talk about celiac to everyone you know and meet, isn't it? One thing I think we have to remember is that while we find it interesting, most other people don't. My husband has had to pull me aside (discreetly, of course) and let me know that I'm talking about it too much when he sees our friends' eyes glaze over.

It's human nature to talk about what is going on in your life with your friends and loved ones, and being gluten-free is a BIG part of our lives. I try very hard to gauge people's reactions to the short, simple answer I give for what celiac is. If they ask involved questions, I'll tell them a little more. If they ask questions that come off as them just trying to be polite, I say very little.

I guess I try to think of it the same way as someone who had cancer and was undergoing treatment. If someone asked them how things were going, they'd probably keep the medical terms to a minimum and just give an overview. I try to do the same thing because as interested as I am in my disease, I know 99% of my acquaintances are only being polite when they ask.

Just a little unsolicited advice.